Suspicious Activities
by KeepMeGoing365
Summary: There are days when Captain Stanley wonders why he isn't in an insane asylum yet...
1. Book

The day he returns to work from his head and shoulder injury, Captain Stanley enters the rec room to find that Johnny, the youngest of his crew, is sitting on the couch, reading a book…

As if _that_ isn't odd enough—John Gage isn't really one for reading—the usually exuberant young man is _silent_.

Glancing to the kitchen table, he sees that he isn't the only one who is surprised.

"Roy. Mike," he says, greeting them. "John."

Two of the men nod with a happy, if not a little distracted 'Cap', before returning their gazes to the young man on the sofa who has yet to acknowledge his captain's presence.

Sighing, Captain Stanley walks over to the coffee pot and reaches out… then hesitates at the last moment, turning to look at the two men at the table.

"Who made the coffee today?" he pleasantly questions, hoping the feeling of dread hadn't carried into his tone.

"Johnny did," replies Roy, never looking away from his partner. "At least he said he did."

With a resigned sigh—for some reason, he knows he'll need his coffee to get through today—he pours the dubious liquid into his coffee cup and then takes a seat at the table, placing his cup in front of him.

He looks once more to Johnny who still seems to be focusing intently on what he is reading.

The captain has always wondered if Johnny has a mild case of dyslexia. Nothing severe, of course, as he likely would never have passed the medical knowledge exams what with all the gobbledy-gook that passes for medicine names, but enough so that the paramedic finds reading to be a chore. Or maybe it's some type of ADHD bringing about a short attention span and _that_ makes reading difficult… But either way, John always seems to have to really force himself to focus when he is reading, an intense look of concentration always present.

Hank shakes his head and takes the newspaper from the table, trying to get his mind off of wondering what might so interest John that he would actually take the time to read.

As he finds himself re-reading the same paragraph of the same article for the sixth or seventh time, however, he knows it's far too late. Thus, putting the newspaper down, almost taking a sip of his coffee and then deciding against it, he turns to the man beside him.

"Mike?" he says quietly, getting his engineer's attention.

"Yes, Cap?"

Casting another glance at John, he lowers his voice to nearly a whisper.

"What's he reading?"

The engineer shrugs. "We don't know."

"You don't know?"

"He's just been sitting there reading since Roy and I arrived."

"You mean, he was _early_ today?" questions the now alarmed captain.

Mike nods. "C-shift was still clearing out when Roy and I got here. They said he had been here a good twenty or thirty minutes, and this is how we found him. In uniform and reading."

"I'm getting' kinda concerned, Cap," Roy adds quietly, still watching his partner. Early and reading _and_ quiet? And then there is the _other_ matter….

"That seems… odd."

"But that's not all, Cap," Mike states, pausing as the captain turns tired yet anxious eyes to him.

"Dear God, do I need to go look for my hat?"

Chuckling, Roy answers, "I don't think he's had a lighter, Cap, so your hat should be okay."

"Good," he sighs before looking serious once more. "Then what's the other shoe? You going to drop it or not?"

The two crew members exchange glances.

"Do you want to tell him or should I?" asks the paramedic.

"The kid's your partner," replies Mike, standing and leaving the kitchen with his coffee.

Now even more worried, Captain Stanley looks to Roy. "Well?"

"Try your coffee, Cap."


	2. Coffee

"Try my… What do you mean 'try your coffee'?" Hank questions, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Try your coffee," repeats Roy as though it's the simplest explanation in the world.

Turning almost fearful eyes to his coffee cup, he warily raises it to his lips, takes a tentative sip and then blinks.

"…"

"I know, Cap. That's what Mike and I said."

"The coffee… It's…"

"I know," the senior paramedic nods his understanding. "Now you know why I said what I did."

"… And John Gage made this?" he ask, completely in disbelief.

"If what he says is true he did."

"But… It doesn't taste like dishwater… It actually tastes…"

"I know. We were as shocked as you," the paramedic nods again, leaning back in his chair and looking once more to his still unmoved partner. "And I asked the last person from C-shift. They corroborated what Johnny said. Told me Johnny made them coffee, too."

"_He did_?"

This is all too much. Early, reading, quiet, and now _this_? The extraordinarily healthy captain isn't sure that even his heart can handle this sort of excitement and intrigue.

Roy nods yet again, looking to him.

"And all of them were carrying some with them in Styrofoam cups when they left."

"Then, we _haven't_ just become desensitized? It actually _is_ good coffee?"

"So it would seem."

The two turn their gazes once more to Johnny who remains unaware of their attention.

After several moments pass, the captain can't stand it anymore.

"John."

No response.

"JOHN," he repeats a little louder.

Nothing.

"JOHN RODERICH GAGE."

"Whaa-huh?" is the first statement from the young man before he realizes who had called him and a bright smile appears on his face. "Well, hey, Cap. Good to see ya back. Why didn't ya say something when you came in?"

"I did," the captain replies warily. "John."

"Yeah?" the one addressed answers, confused by the older man's tone. He seems serious, like the 'did you just do the last fifteen feet of a climb without your harness' kind of serious…

"Did **_you_**make this coffee?"

Johnny blinks. "Well, uh, yeah… Is… something wrong with it?"

"Wrong with it?" Roy repeats. "It's the best cup of coffee I've ever had and Joanne makes some good coffee."

At this, the dark-eyed paramedic beams.

"You really like it?"

"Of course we do!" Hanks exclaims with a nod. "Where have you been hiding this talent? The coffee you normally make tastes like soapy water…"

As a blush appears on the young man's face, the captains notes with curiosity that John closes his book, setting it between him and the arm of the couch as he answers, "Well, uh, you see…"

Suddenly the SCU sounds, announcing an accident inside a training gym, man unconscious.

Without another thought, Roy and John are on their feet and out the door, while he follows them, writing the details and passing the information to Roy.

Waiting until he sees the Squad exit the station, siren blaring, the captain then walks back to the sofa, and picks up the book John had been reading. He looks around briefly before turning his attention to the book cover.

Unable to stop himself, he laughs, replaces the book as he had found it, and leaves the room, chuckling and muttering,

"_The Complete Guide to Coffee-brewing_! Ha!"

**_Fin._**


End file.
